“What are the best places to go to in town?”

“What are your personal favorites?”

“Where do the locals like to go?”

These are the questions that founders Errica and Tim Henke were tired of writing on sticky notes when folks stopped off at their local property, Stonewall Motor Lodge. This sparked an idea — The Vind, a one-stop app and personal concierge where all businesses have a platform to showcase their unique Hill Country wine, food, views, lodging … whatever it may be.

Visitors are often overwhelmed by too many options. They are enticed by Fredericksburg and the wine country, but get lost in the trolls of research. The Vind became the beacon of hope for current and future travelers. Whether you’re planning a bachelorette party, a weekend away or a day trip, this app is the key to taking away all the stress of planning and making it what it’s meant to be: relaxing. With co-founders Anita and Lance Ortiz Lubke, the four created a recipe for success offering the locals’ perspective, which is what this app is built around.

When asked why people should use this app, Anita says, “Over a million people come to this area every year to visit Texas wine country. There are over a hundred wineries in between Fredericksburg and Johnson City alone that The Vind chose to start off servicing. Between the world-class food, shopping and unique outdoor entertainment, it’s overwhelming the number of things you can partake in.” Visitors often lack a sense of direction, feel lost or worry they’re missing out on the best places to go. Especially in large groups, it’s difficult to please everyone or ensure they all feel they’ve had the authentic Hill Country experience.

“We’re giving back that luxury of time by giving you curated recommendations based on your exact needs and wants,” says Anita. More like, why SHOULDN’T you use the app? You save time and energy, and The Vind perfectly lays out resources for you!

Anita and Errica shared that many beautiful, smaller, family-run wineries are not right off the highway and don’t necessarily have the big marketing budget. But they deserve the same clientele as the big named wineries because they’re just as good, if not better.

“We want to champion them, so all the mom and pop family-run spots have a place to be seen,” says Errica. They’re passionate that everyone that uses their forum knows that it doesn’t cost a penny to be on the app. “This is Texas. We went back to that old school mentality of giving everyone a fair shot.” Businesses can edit or add things to their profile as they please, but it costs them nothing initially to have an account and show people they’re there!

If you’re not a big drinker, should you even download this? Absolutely you should. There is an elephant preserve you can visit, beautiful places where you can stay the night, and mocktails galore! Just because it’s called wine country, it doesn’t mean it’s not family-friendly or that your trip has to be centered around the vineyards! The area is rich in history and culture, and there is plenty to discover for Texas locals and out-of-state visitors alike.

The Vind plans on expanding, but the Texas wine country is undoubtedly an excellent place to start. The Vind launched in March of this year and is ready to download, easy to use and honestly the best way to plan your next trip. Whether you’re going to explore the science mill in Johnson City with your kids, meeting girlfriends at Slate Theory or spending a romantic afternoon away at Signor, The Vind has you covered. thevind.com

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